How to Live Your Dream

A few years ago on an Australian reality talent show, a young man expressed his dream to be a famous singer. The emcee told of his dedication in preparing for this moment. His mother spoke of his deep passion and commitment. When the man took to the stage, the audience applauded in great anticipation.

In spite of the lead up, the performance was awful. This young man had plenty of zeal, but absolutely no talent. One judge known for his honest feedback didn’t hold back: “Your dream will never happen. No amount of hard work will make you a good singer. You will never be on the stage.”

It was a brutal moment, but it was also an act of grace. This man’s dream was completely misplaced. It wasn’t based on who he was or how God designed him to be. He was believing a fantasy and without the reality check provided by the judges, was headed towards even greater disappointment.

When We Grow Up?

What are we going to be when we grow up? It’s a question we usually ask children, but it’s a question we all need to ask ourselves. God has a purpose for each one of us, but it’s not a product of wishful thinking or misplaced illusions. God’s dream for our lives will match who we are and how we’re made. We’re going to love what God has for us!

The next question is, how do our God-given dreams come to pass?

I remember at 26 years old hearing God’s vision for my life for the first time. It was a vision that echoed the deepest desires of my heart. I waited a week, then two. A month later and nothing was happening. I wondered if I’d really heard from God at all.

At the time I didn’t understand that realising my dream was not going to happen overnight. There was a process to walk through – and each step of that process was conditional on my response. At each point there were lessons to learn and decisions to make. I had a choice in how I responded and that choice impacted how the plan of God unfolded in my life.

As I followed God’s lead, I saw God’s spectacular plan unfolding and watched his sovereign hand at work. As Ephesians 3:20 says, it was beyond anything I could have ever asked or imagined.

The Dream that Never Dies

God wants to work in each one of us to bring his plans to fulfilment, but the onus is also on us to respond. On the podcast this week, we’re talking about How to Live your Dream. We’ll examine the process by which a God-given dream comes to pass by drawing on the patterns in the lives of biblical greats like Abraham, Moses and Joseph. We’re going to talk about how a dream is birthed and how a God-given dream works to transform us from the inside out. We will also see that when God is the author and leader of our lives, his dream never dies.